Elevation-controlled firing apparatus for guns.



E. BOURDELLES. ELEVATION CONTROLLED FIRING APPARATUS FOR. GUNS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1913. v 1,Q98,61 2 Patented June 2, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. v E. BOURDELLES.

ELEVATION CONTROLLED FIRING APPARATUS FOR GUNS.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1913.

1,098,612, z Patented June 2,1914.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES "PATENT oFFIoE.

EMILE nounimnnns, or PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF TO conraemn nns FORGES ET ACIERIES DE LA MARINE nr'n'nomncotmr, or rARIs, FRANCE, A;

aomr-sroox 'oontramr.

. nnnvn'rron-conraonnnn FIRING APPARATUS FOR eons.

Patented June 2, 1914.

- To all :wkom it may 6mm.- l 3e 1t known that I, EMlLE Bounnnuns, a citizen of the/Republic of France, resident I -of 39' Rue Galilee, Paris, France, have in- 5 vented ,a new and useful Elevation-Controlled Apparatus for Guns, which is fully set fort in the following specification.

In the devices described in my concurrent application Serial No. 791,972, 'filed September 26, 1913, for elevation-controlled firing apparatus for guns it may happen that v the marksman fires the gun accidentally, if,

before bringing it to his shoulder, he presses the trigger and at the same time imparts abnormal shocks to the gun. In this case,

' posed in the electric circuit which actuates the trigger or the firing. mechanism. This cut-out only renders inoperative the effects of a sudden longitudinal movement and allows perfect liberty for the establishment of the circuit when the gun .moves in elevation. As hereinafter explained, this cut-out instead of beingcombined in series with the normal circuit breaker, "-might replace the latter, that is to say serve as the circuit making element in the case-of regular nor- .mal manipulation and also as a circuit M breaker in case of irregular or abnormal manipulation.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing to-illustrates an embodiment of the invention in which'the safet cut out is employed in combination with the normal circuit breaker described in the principal patent. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view of a second constructional form of my in- Vention; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view llustrating a third constructional form; and Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional viewof a gun showing my improvement in position.

' In Flgs. 1 and 4 a designatesthe base or Application filed September 27, 1913. Serial No. 792,224.

support upon which the normal device for making the circuit by means of a gravity member 1s mounted, such,- for example as the device represented in Fig. 6 of the aforesaid specification. This device is constituted by a level a with a mercury drop 0; the casing of this level consists of two cylmdrical steel parts 1 and 2 separated by a cylindrical portion 3, of fiber or ebonite,

fixed to the support z by a collar 4 or any '60 other appropriate member. One of the parts 1' of the casing the part 2) is connected by the conductor w1th one of the elements of the circuit-tobe established, the other part 1 of the casing is connected by the wire D with the interposed safety cut-out, and

the circuit can only be closed' by the intermediary of the latter, which is connected by the conductor D withthe other element of the circuit. '70 The safety cut-cu can beconstituted in Q the following manner :A connection of insulating material 9 rovided witha artition 10,.a portion of which is rendere electri cally conducting by means of a metallic 75.

. bead 11, unites two closed metal tubes 12, 13

each 'of which contains a metal ball or a .drop of mercury 14, 15. These two tubes 12, 13 are slight-1y inclined one toward the other. 7 l 80. 1 In Fig. 4 I have shown a breech-loading gun provided with electro-magnetic means for firing the gun when any desired elevation is reached, the electromagnetic means being controlled; by my safety cut-out. Only so much of the gun firing mechanism will be here described as is necessary toexplain its connection with the present lmprovement as the same forms the subject-matterof my copending application Serial No 791,972, filedSeptember 26, 1913, wherein the same 'is fully described and claimed. A-is the "stock of, a breech-loading gun in which is located a battery 0. and an electromagnet b which is in circuit with batterya and leads D, D ofthe cut-out device and the trigger actuating device desi ated as a whole by B, the specific constructlon of whlch forms no part of the present invention and is not .herein further described. k'is'a false trigger which is adapted to carrying a contact piece 7 which may close a circuit through the electromagnet b preparatory-to firing. A stop a, limits the rearward movement of the false trigger and prevents ,firing by a pull on the trigger by the finger alone.

After the marksman'has prepared the gun by pressing the false trigger h, he elevates the gun progressively; when the gun passes through the given firing elevation the drop C forms a bridge between the 'two parts 1 and 2 of the level 0, while the two drops 14:, 15 of the safety cut-out permit of the establishment of the circuit by making contact withthe metal bead 11. If on the other hand .cury 14:, 15 will cease den return ofthe drops of mercury that the shock may have projected against theends of the tubes. I

In -certain cases, the normal circuit making element can be dispensed with, that is to say, in the example illustrated in Fig. 1, the element C can be omitted and only the safety cut-out may be placed in circuit by the wires 1) and D.

Fig. 2 illustrates a'second constructional form of the safety cut-out in longitudinal. tube sectional elevation. In an insulating 16 comprisingstops or a circular projection 17, two conducting masses 14, 15 are displaceable; springs 18, 19 press these-masses together and away from the extreme conducting plugs of the tube andtend to maintain them .in Any inopportune movement given to the gun, separates the masses l4 and 15 and breaks the circuit."

Instead of guiding the masses 14'and 15 in an nsulatlng envelop, they might be guided upon an insulating axial rod comprising stops.

Fig. illustrates a third constructional formof the safety cut-out. In'this.examsion rods can be ple, two pendulous conducting masses 14;.and 15 are normally maintained lightly in j'contactlin such a manner as to enable the circuit to be made during 'theregularjmove.

ments o f the gun. With this object, the

masses can'be suspended'on rigid rods mak-'' ing a slight angle one with the other, owing to the suitable spacing of their points of suspension. An insulating stop 20 is interposed between the t'wo masses. The suspenmovement-Jof the masses.

act on the trig er proper at through a spring j'to move a ro g flexible to assist thereturn" roam-e opportune movement separates the masses and breaks the circuit.

What I claim and desire tosecure by ters Patent of the United States is 1. A circuit-controlling device for electromagnetically actuated firing mechanism for guns comprising circuit-closing .means ope rable to close a circuit at one point when the gun is placed at a predetermined angle, and a circuit make and break device in circuit with said means and operable to break the circuit at another point under the influence of a sudden jar to the gun and operable to close the circuit when the gun moves regularly in elevation.

2. A circuit-controlling device for electromagnetically actuated firing mechanism for guns comprising circuit-closing means operable to close a circuit at one point when the gun is placed at a predetermined angle, and means comprisingtwo electrically conducting gravity actuated masses adapted to open the circuit at another point under theinfluence of an irregular movement of the gun in elevation and to close the circuit at this point when the gun moves regularly in elevation.

3. A circuit-controlling device for electromagnctically actuated firing mechanism for guns comprising circuit-closing means operable to close a circuit atone point when the gun is placed at a predetermined angle, and a circuit make and break device comprising two contact members and means supporting the same in operative relation to each other, both of said members being movable and normally tending to close the energizing circuit of the firing mechanism when the gun is moved inelevation and to open the circuit when the gun moves irregularly in elevation.

. 4. A circuit-controlling device for electrotmagnetically actuated firing mechanism for guns comprising circuit-closing meansoperable to close a circuit at one n is placed at a predetermined angle, and a circuit make and break device comprising a closed tubular member formed in two conducting sections inclined to each other and united by insulating material and a partition of. conducting material separating the member into two chambers,'-a movable conductin norma ly closing the circuit through 'tubularmember when the gunmoves regu- "larly -in elevation and opemng the circuit 'ble to close a. circuit at one point when the Any sudden i'n gunis placed at a predetermined angle, and a circuit make and break device comprising when the gun moves irregularly in eleva- A circuit-controlling'device lior electro- Letoint when the mass in each chamber, said masses the fa closedtubular member formed in two conductmg sections-inclined to each other and united by insulating material, a, partition of conductingmaterial separating the member into two 'chambers,-a mass-.of mercury in each chamber and, bafies in, the chambers to prevent splashing, said masses normally 7 closing the circuit through the-tubular member when thegun moves regularly in elevaing witnesses.

- EMILE BOURDELLES. v Witnessesz' I HENRI MONIN,

HANSON, C, CoxE. 

